


Frequency Fiends: After the Fact

by JCMorrigan



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, I Wrote this in 2014, It's shippy if you want it to be but it's not if you don't want it to be, Seriously you're going to have to be familiar with that episode for anything to make sense, Set immediately after Frequency Fiends, Short Story, Villain and hero coming to terms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 05:57:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14710400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JCMorrigan/pseuds/JCMorrigan
Summary: Set immediately after the events of the episode "Frequency Fiends."Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn Mallard, and Launchpad McQuack celebrate their victory over ice cream. Given the circumstances, it was only fair to invite Megavolt, right?





	Frequency Fiends: After the Fact

The battle against the three energy-wave manifestations of Gosalyn’s worst qualities had taken until morning, but was well worth it. The tricolor trio was gone for good, and the city once again safe…from them, anyway. As the sun broke the horizon over St. Canard, the vanquishers of the monsters were found at an ice cream shop, celebrating their victory.  
“Man,” Gosalyn remarked, “am I ever glad this place was open at six a.m.”  
“Once again,” Darkwing boasted, holding up his spoon as though it was a trophy, “eponymous evildoers are felled by the quick thinking and action of Darkwing Duck!” He gestured with the spoon as though it were a sword. “Really, I don’t know what this city would do without me.”  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Gosalyn groaned, “you won, the bad guys lost. We get it already.”  
“You’re not going to let me have my moment?” Darkwing raised a brow at his daughter.  
“Fine,” Gosalyn sighed. “Brag it up.”  
“Ugh…” Launchpad looked down at his dish of ice cream. “Maybe ordering the strawberry was a mistake. After seeing that stadium full of strawberry ice cream, I think I’ve had enough for one day!” He slid the dish away from himself.  
“So you’re not going to eat that? Can I have it?”  
The fourth voice was a sudden reminder that the trio of heroes was not alone. As though they’d completely forgotten his presence, Darkwing, Gosalyn, and Launchpad stared down the table at Megavolt, who was repeatedly stirring a dish of chocolate and strawberry ice cream until it was just a pink and brown swirl.   
“Tell me again,” Gosalyn asked, “why did we invite our archnemesis to victory ice cream?”  
“Because,” Darkwing sighed, “as annoying as it is, he did help us save St. Canard from the energy monsters.”  
“I’ll take credit where it’s due,” Megavolt replied. “And actually, you could argue that I actually did more to stop them than you di—“  
“I’m already choosing not to throw you in jail for the thirty counts of various public disobedience I have on your name,” Darkwing snapped. “Don’t push it.”  
“Well, fine.” Megavolt took the ice cream that Launchpad had scooted in his direction, adding it to the swirl. “When we tell this story later, you’ll have your version, and I’ll have the one that actually happened.”  
“Hey!” Gosalyn suddenly cried. “I just remembered that thing I had to go to at six in the morning today! Launchpad, don’t you remember it?”  
“Uhhh…not really,” Launchpad admitted.  
“Come on!” Gosalyn practically whined. “You promised to take me to that, uh…orchestra concert…in the park!”  
“I did?” Launchpad was confused. “I forgot there was even one of those!”  
“Well, we don’t wanna be late!” Gosalyn said hurriedly, standing up and tugging on Launchpad’s sleeve. “Catch ya later!” she called out, dragging Launchpad after her.   
The pair ended up just outside the window of the shop. “I’m sorry,” Launchpad said, “but I forgot all about the concert—“  
“There isn’t any concert,” Gosalyn said with a diabolical grin. “I just made that up.”  
“Then what are we doing out here?”  
“Leaving Dad to have some quality time with his archnemesis, now that the two of them actually had to work together,” Gosalyn replied. “This should be hilarious!”  
“Isn’t that a little dangerous? What if they get in a fight?”  
“We’ll be right here watching, and we can step in whenever things get out of hand. Besides, Dad can handle himself. Now let’s watch! And don’t look too obvious!”  
Gosalyn and Launchpad stood at the window, unnoticed by either Darkwing or Megavolt. They watched as the two enemies, seated at the farthest opposite ends of the table, first only paid attention to their ice cream dishes. This eventually progressed to silent dirty glares of resentment.  
At last, the silence was broken. “You know,” Darkwing groaned, “it’s times like these I wonder what’s going around in that warped mind of yours. What are you planning now? Building a toaster army? Giant tank that fires lightning bolts? Whatever it is, you know I’m just going to have to get in the way of it.”  
“Actually, I was trying to remember if I left the oven on,” Megavolt admitted. “Either I turned it off before I left the lair, or it’s probably burned the entire place to the ground right now. Oh well, what can you do?” He shrugged.  
“Nice,” Darkwing sighed. Under his breath, he muttered, “I should have figured out to stop trying to make sense of you a loooong time ago…”  
“Though I never did think about that before,” Megavolt said with a sly grin. “It’s not a half bad idea.”  
“Oh, now what? Was it the toaster army or the tank?”  
“I was thinking more along the lines of a tank that fires heat waves like those found in your average toaster. I mean, on their own, those ideas are both kinda stupid.”  
“MY ideas are stupid?” Darkwing raged. “You once built a magnet whose only purpose was to attract scrap metal to build a bigger magnet!”  
“Oh! Thanks for reminding me! I need to rebuild my giant magnet!”  
“Why…why do I even try talking to you?”  
The two turned back to their ice cream, each feigning disinterest in the other.  
“This is great!” Gosalyn whispered from outside. “And if we just wait a little longer, it’s only gonna get better…”  
They waited. Silence filled the space across the table. Then:  
“You know, I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t actually kill you.”  
“Wait, what?” Darkwing put down his spoon. “Did I just hear you right?”  
“Yeah,” Megavolt reiterated. “I’m starting to think I shouldn’t actually kill you.”  
“You’ve spent over ten years trying to destroy me, and just now you’re randomly losing interest in it?” Darkwing attempted to clarify.  
“No,” Megavolt corrected. “I’m not going to stop TRYING to kill you. That’s the fun part. If I actually got rid of you, that would be pretty boring.”  
“Really now.”  
“You may not know this, but I don’t have much of a life. Right now, about fifty percent of it is devoted to trying to destroy you or similar activities.”  
“You don’t have much of a life? I never would have guessed,” Darkwing replied sarcastically.   
“Yeah, I know,” Megavolt replied, dead serious. “You’d think a guy like me would have more of a social life.”  
“Why you don’t is a mystery,” Darkwing replied, knowing Megavolt would miss the sarcasm again.   
“The point is, if I got rid of you, I’d have to go through all the work of finding a new archenemy. But it really just wouldn’t be the same.”  
“That’s…” Darkwing found he had to admit it. “That’s actually kind of sweet. Coming from you. In this context.”  
“Are they actually getting along?” Launchpad whispered to Gosalyn.  
“This is too perfect!” Gosalyn cried. “Oh, man, I am so going to blackmail Dad with this later…”  
“While we’re on the subject,” Darkwing continued, “there’s…something I’ve been kind of wanting to say. Since that last battle with the giant energy monsters. I didn’t earlier because…well, you’re you, and it really didn’t seem worth it.”  
“Heyyyy,” Megavolt whined, “what’s that supposed to mean?”  
“That I didn’t want to waste well-thought-out words on an unreceptive psychopath with an attention span problem.”  
“I’m listening!” Megavolt argued. “Whatever you have to say, you have my full…attention…” He looked toward the ceiling. “REALLY? THAT MANY fluorescents? Now that’s just a waste! Not to mention unfair working conditions!”  
“Yup,” Darkwing muttered to himself. “I’m talking to Mr. Focus himself…”  
“I swear to Tesla, if I find out that this establishment has been overworking the blenders, THEY WILL PAY FOR THEIR—“ Megavolt halted midsentence. “Wait. Were you saying something?”  
“Maybe.”  
“I’m really listening this time.”  
“I doubt it.”  
“Really!”  
Darkwing sighed, knowing he’d have to come to terms with the sentiment. “Back there…when you hooked up that switch to yourself…did you think you were going to, you know, make it?”  
“I had no idea.” Megavolt shrugged, as though it was no big deal.  
“And that didn’t scare you at all. That you might have died.”  
“It wasn’t on my mind.” It slowly sank in. “I…I could have DIED back there! NO! I’M TOO YOUNG TO GO TO THE GREAT POWER PLANT IN THE SKY!”  
“Calm down, calm down…” Darkwing put up his hands. “You made it, I made it, everybody lives. The point is, when everything went wrong with our perfectly planned scientific scheme, I was…worried about you.”  
“REALLY?” This brought Megavolt immediately back to the subject at hand; he stared intently at Darkwing, grinning madly.  
“Well…to be perfectly honest, yes,” Darkwing admitted. “I wasn’t sure you were going to survive that. It was a real relief to find out you did. I guess it’s the same thing for me. I’m just so used to fighting you that…well…I’m not really sure what would have happened if you weren’t around to do battle with anymore. Of course, I would have eventually moved on, seeing as I actually have a life outside of being your enemy…”  
Gosalyn and Launchpad’s jaws had already dropped upon hearing Darkwing admit this. They were only more stunned by what happened next.   
Before Darkwing could continue, Megavolt had leapt from his chair, run to the other side of the table, and embraced Darkwing so suddenly and tightly he could barely breathe. “YOU LIKE TO HATE ME!” Megavolt cried in joy. “YOU REALLY LIKE TO HATE ME! I’VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT!”   
“Choking…me…” Darkwing gasped. “Need…air…to live…idiot…”  
“Hang on.” Megavolt let go, causing Darkwing to gulp down as much air as he could. Megavolt then grabbed Darkwing’s shoulders, holding him out so their eyes locked directly. “That is what you’re saying, right?” Megavolt asked earnestly. “That you like to hate me?”  
“Well…” Darkwing gave a slight shrug, then a smile. “Yeah. I guess it is.” He reinstated the hug, but much more gently this time. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”  
“Oh, man…” Gosalyn hissed. “I really should have brought my camera…”  
The pair of rivals, one of darkness, one of light, broke their embrace. “After all,” Darkwing said, “what would my life be without a Megavolt to fight—HEY!”  
Megavolt had returned to his seat across the table. All four ice cream dishes were gathered before him, and he smirked proudly.  
Darkwing couldn’t think of anything but to state the obvious: “You just stole ALL the ice cream!”  
Megavolt gave a devil-may-care shrug. “Well, I AM still the villain!”


End file.
